


Love Letters

by becca_the_quiet_one



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Angst, F/F, Like, Trauma, growing up a little, i really do not know where I was going with this, korrasami crossover bitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27870714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becca_the_quiet_one/pseuds/becca_the_quiet_one
Summary: It was the first time Glimmer had ever found herself praying. To what, she wasn’t sure. But as Angella worked desperately to tear the poison out of Adoras limp body, she didn’t care who they were or what they stood for.And when Adoras eyes opened again, blue and broken, Glimmer found herself converted.Prompt: Love Letters
Relationships: Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	Love Letters

Adora leaves in the winter.

Angella assures her that it's for the best, after Shadow Weavers poisoning she could do with some fresh country air.

Glimmer wants to protest, insist that what she needs is her mansion's huge fireplace and its rotating round of servants and doctors, a hot mug of cocoa daily and as many warm hugs from the people who love her deeply. Not a cold, sterile cabin with just a few healers and Swift Wind.

But she stays silent. They’d all changed since that day, watching the Avatar state release itself from Adoras body. Watched her hurtle through the air helpless to do anything, watched her smash into the ground closer to death than she’d ever come before. 

It was the first time Glimmer had ever found herself praying. To what, she wasn’t sure. But as Angella worked desperately to tear the poison out of Adoras limp body, she didn’t care who they were or what they stood for.

And when Adoras eyes opened again, blue and broken, Glimmer found herself converted.

* * *

Dear Glimmer,

How are things in Bright Moon? I’m sorry I haven’t sent a letter yet. Things have been… complicated.

Razz and I are working on walking again. She says it’s going to be long and hard. I believe her.She’s a lot more comfortable here than I am, anyways. I’m not used to the cold. Even if I can’t feel it on my legs, I know it's there.

I really miss you and the rest of the gang. Everyone here treats me so delicately like I’m going to break if they say or do the wrong thing. I saved the world three times over, you’d think that would earn me a little more respect.

I’m sorry I’m rambling about my problems. I heard about Angella, and I’m so sorry. That accident sounded horrible, but I’m so glad she’s getting better in the hospital. I would’ve come back to town but I didn’t want to… overshadow her.

There’s one more thing. I haven't written to anyone else yet. I wrote to you first because… because I feel like I can talk to you about stuff that I just can’t with other people. I hope you understand. Could you not tell anyone that i’m writing to you? I know it's a lot to ask and I’m sorry.

Love, 

Adora

* * *

On the first anniversary since Adora left Bright Moon, Glimmer lights a candle.

She lights quite a few actually, because the electricity went out earlier and she still has work to do. The new airships Castaspella ordered need to be inspected, and that means hiring inspectors, renting a hangar, filing reports.

She grumbles as she stumbles through the mansion, looking for a lighter and cursing her lineage for not making this easier. Eventually, though, she works her way into the kitchen 

But this particular candle is red, water tribe insignias carved into the wax. It makes Glimmer stop dead in her tracks.

Adora had given her this, just a few months before Harmonic Convergence. 

_ “Razz always makes too many.” Adora grumbles, pulling yet another candle out of the box. “How much luck does she think I need, anyways?” _

_ “Knowing you? Plenty.” Glimmer stoops, picks one up. “So these are good luck?” _

_ “According to tradition.” Adora scoffs. _

_ Glimmer gazes at it. “It’s beautiful.” _

_ “Take it. In fact, take twenty.” Adora says, shoving more towards her. _

_ “Razz will be crushed. Besides, I think you need more luck than I do.” _

_ Adora looks at her, expression stone cold. “No, really. I’d feel better if you had these.” _

Glimmer studies the candle. Runs her fingers over the intricately designed carvings.

Then she pulls her lighter out of her pocket, touches it to the wick, and watches the wax run over her hands and down to the floor.

In the red shine there is poison, and despair. But there is liquid hope too, rapidly cooling.

* * *

She can never anticipate the sort of letter that will come. 

Adoras wit is scathing, even after Glimmer watched it die from her eyes.

In her last letter she’d taken half a page to describe how annoyed she was by one particular guard constantly whistling the same tune, over and over again. She’d likened him to a broken, off-key record that Swift Wind had chewed on, and Glimmer had laughed until her ribs hurt.

It feels almost like the old days, 

She’d seen Bow just a few weeks ago, but it still wasn’t the same. The conversation had been light, but there was a new layer of awkwardness between them that she was rapidly becoming familiar with. She’d felt it with Scorpia too, and she hasn’t even spoken to her in months. She can’t remember the last time she’s seen Perfuma or Frosta either.

She sighs. She knows that the old days are behind her. She’s not the same person she was when Adora first made her way into Bright Moon. She's matured in both age and psyche. She runs a multimillion dollar company, and she’s stopped traveling the world fighting battles she can’t see the end of.

Sometimes she thinks she’s ready to move on, let that part of her life live on as a fond memory and nothing else. Let the faces that once meant the world to her become nothing more become names to which she addresses her holiday cards. 

But then the first of the month rolls around, she finds herself devouring Adoras letter, and after she’s done pouring over every word theres only a hollow aching feeling of longing in her chest. That's when she stops deluding herself, accepts that she misses her old friends, her old life, her old  _ self  _ and there’s no way to get them back.

But most of all, she finds, she misses Adora. And she’s beginning to lose hope of getting her back too.

* * *

Glimmer,

I can walk again.

Sorry for all the spilled ink, but I’m still shaking as I write this. 

It still hurts. When I try to hold myself up I feel like every fiber of muscle is on fire, and its killing me to know I can’t support my own weight.

But pretty soon I’ll be able to play catch with Swiftie again. Or dress myself. Or cook. Or just walk down to the post office to mail these myself.

I know that sounds incredibly juvenile. Even a kid can do all that. 

I used to think I had to get better because there was so much I had to do. I’m not sure of that anymore. I’m not sure of anything anymore.

Sometimes I think the world is moving on without me, and that I’m just left behind. Useless. 

That doesn’t mean I’m not proud of you, though. Your new Magnet Train sounds incredible. I hope they let me ride it next time I’m in the city. But I don’t know when that’ll be.

Love,

Adora

* * *

Angella had fared much better in her accident than Adora had.

All she’d required after another car had hit her was a few weeks on crutches, and some rest. But it had seemed to put a new light in her mothers eyes. She’d sat Glimmer down after a few days, and told her that she had no intention of returning to the company Micah had started.

_ “Listen to me Glimmer. “ Angellas eyes were as hard as steel. “This does not have to be your responsibility.” _

_ So who’s was it then? Could she really just let someone else run the company Micah had struggled so hard to build? _

_ Can she trust her luck that much? _

_ Glimmers eyes watered, and she forces a smile. “I know it isn’t.” _

“Your hair has gotten so long.” Angella cradles her cup of tea in her hands. “Darling, at least let me style it for you.”   


Glimmers only vaguely aware that her mother is speaking, she’s too busy staring out the window of her mothers small apartment.

Angella sets her cup down. “You really do look so much like your father when you do that.”

That, at least, snaps Glimmer out of her trance, startling her back to reality. “Sorry, what?”

“Micah always had that same look in his eyes, like he was waiting for something.” Angella smiles sadly, her smooth cold veneer cracking. “He could never tell me what it was."

“I’m not… I’m not waiting for anything Mom.” Glimmer shakes her head. “I’m just thinking about how I’m going to balance this next quarter.”

It’s a blatant lie, because the freshly paved street outside the window reminds her of the time she’d tried to teach Adora to drive, and the way her laugh seemed to light Glimmers very being on fire. So for the last half an hour she’s been sitting, racking her brain to try and think of anything else.

“Of course.” Angella quirks a skeptical eyebrow. “I see that Perfuma and Scorpia have announced their engagement. They must be thrilled.”

Glimmer had read about that too, and maybe she’d have felt a little more hurt about not knowing if she’d spoken to either of them in the last calendar year. They’d sent her a formal telegram, and it only stings a little that they hadn't bothered to tell her in person.

“I’m glad for them.” Glimmer says stiffly. “I hope they’ll be very happy together.”

Angella hums, running her fingers along the lace tablecloth in a way that would appear distracted to anyone but her daughter. “And how is Adora doing?”

“She- She’s fine.” Glimmer chokes. “Physical therapy is… working for her.”

Angella sighs. “Sweetheart, I miss her too.”

The tears come before she can stop them, and for the first time in years she finds herself crying into her mothers arms.

* * *

Glimmer,

This is the last letter I’m going to be able to write for awhile.

I’m not ready to say why yet. I just need to be alone.

I’m sorry that I left you two years ago, and I’m sorry that I’m leaving you now. It wasn’t fair to you, to make you take care of me. And its not fair now. I think I have to learn how to do that for myself.

Adora

* * *

Six months go by.

Glimmer spends her weekdays meeting with investors, supervising assembly lines, and designing the next line of products that [] will unveil in the summer. Saturdays are reserved for public appearances, and Sundays are spent visiting her mother.

Its not like she doesn’t love this life, constantly putting her creativity and her charisma to use, but it's exhausting. And coming home to an empty house just makes it harder.

She’s already groaning by Monday night, her feet aching as she climbs into the taxi she’d called earlier. She runs through her mental list of to-dos, and she’s barely halfway through by the time the car stops in front of the mansion.

She tips the driver generously as she stumbles up the steps, already removing the heeled boots that so injure her feet. 

Tonight will be an all-nighter. She tries to steel her will, knowing that all her servants have gone home by this hour, so dinner will be a miserable cold affair. 

-There’s someone in front of her fireplace. Their clothes are dirty and she can just barely make out their figure in front of the dying embers.

She’s frozen in place, trying to decide between confronting the stranger and shocking them with her glove before they turn around and-

“Adora?”

She has to be dreaming, she has to be. This is the way it's happened a million times. Adora stands in front of her, sincere and joyfully alive, and the words that fall from her lips are confident.

But Adoras hair is never this short, her clothes are never this dirty. And her eyes have always  _ always  _ been the same broken shade of blue they were on that awful day. Not the shimmery pools they are in the low light.

“Hey, Glimmer.” Adora waves her hand weakly, a bashful smile on her face. “Been waiting long?”

_ Three goddamn years.  _

She flies into Adoras arms without a sound, can’t bring herself to care if they fall. Adora is solid, but Glimmer can’t miss the way she wavers or just how much mass she’s lost.

“Is this real?” She’s almost afraid to ask, but the words spill from her lips anyways.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Adoras hand cups her cheek. “I’m real.”

“I have a million questions.” Glimmer is breathless. “I have to- I have to call everyone.”

“Wait.” Adoras eyes furrow. “Glimmer-”

Oh Stars, are you okay?!” Glimmer pulls back. “

Adora grabs her hands. “Glimmer!”

The pure annoyance in Adoras voice is enough to still her, let alone Adoras words. She’s gotten so used to her tone of voice being snarky, or just plain despairing

“I can’t stay.” Adora frowns.“Primes taking over the Earth Kingdom and I can’t just-”

Can’t sit still, can’t let others fight her destiny for her. Its so incredibly relieving to hear that Glimmer throws her arms around Adoras shoulders.

“I don’t care.” Glimmer clings, pressing her face to Adoras shoulder. “I’ll go with you.”

“Glimmer…”

“No, I mean it.” Glimmer breathes. “I just got you back. I don't want to be without you anymore.”

“I can’t just.” Glimmer doesn't miss the way Adora's arms sneak around her waist and hold her close. “I”m the avatar. I have to… I have to fix this before anyone else gets hurt.”

“Stars, I missed you so bad... “ Glimmers eyes well up. “Adora, I can’t go back to that. Please.”

Adora wavers. “It’ll be dangerous. And you have a life here.”

“And I want you in it.” Glimmer insists. “Please, let me be in yours.”

“Adora, you told me that you didn’t want me to have to take care of you but…” Glimmer confesses. “That's never what any of this was about.”

“What was it then?” Adora's voice is soft. 

Adora has been loud and brash for as long as Glimmer has known her. But the way she stands now, less confident and more tempered, leaves Glimmer half unsettled and still completely, desperately in love

So she looks deep into the blue eyes that have haunted her for years, and leans in.

Tomorrow she will write up an official Leave of Absence Form. No doubt that the people underneath her will suffer trying to keep the company on track, but Glimmer has faith in them. 

She’ll make about a dozen different phone calls. She’ll desperately try to decide what to pack in her suitcase before settling on just the bare essentials. Then she’ll drive herself to the train station, take the avatars hand in hers, and set off for yet another chapter in her life.

But tonight she is Glimmer, and the girl in her arms is Adora. Nothing more, and nothing less.


End file.
